Smitty's Market

Overall Rating and is it worth a visit: 7/10 and a half hearted yes. It’s worth a visit for the history, but not for the food. Similar to the rest of the Lockhart BBQ places I visited, the employees I encountered seemed upset to even be working, as I was met with eye rolls when I asked what was available for purchase that morning. Obviously with me being from out of town, I had no idea that 90% of the smoked meats aren’t done until after 10:30 AM, as nothing was listed on their website to suggest otherwise. As such, I got there in the morning to get a jump start on my barbecue tour for the day, only to be greeted with slight discontent and annoyance by the staff for me arriving before the full offerings of meat were available. While walking past the pits and seeing the walls that are caked in black smoke from years of barbecuing is an absolute experience for any enthusiast, the food and the service left much to be desired and I would say pop in for a photo and then get back to Austin for better options

Date Visited: 1/28/2021

Address: 208 S Commerce St, Lockhart, TX 78644

Day of the Week: Thursday

Time of Day: 8:45 AM, but only have sausage available until 10:30 AM. Opens at 7:00 AM

Owner: Nine Schmidt Sells (Daughter of Edgar “Smitty” Schmidt)

Website: http://smittysmarket.com/

Number of Years in Business: Opened in 1948 (73 years)

Number of People in Line: 0

Regional Style of BBQ: Central Texas

Total Cost: $6.00 for a sausage, cash only

Type of Wood: Oak

Type of Smoker: Coffin. Indirect-heat brick pit

Type of Seasoning: Salt & pepper

Best Dish: Only had a sausage and was not impressed

Best Sauce: Need Review

Best Side: Need Review

Interior Description: Black caked walls from decades of smoking. They had large open seating sections inside right off of main street, that gives a throw back to the past feel to it. Authentic is probably the only word that gives it justice

Pro Tip: Bring cash to pay with as they don’t accept credit cards

Sausage

0/10 Ranking: 6 to 6.5/10

Description: One of the greasiest sausages I have ever had. While the casing had a nice snap to it, as soon as I bit into it, a puddle of grease and loose meat began forming on my butcher paper. The flavor of the sausage was okay overall, but not enough to salvage a good review